From archive (archive) From: duane@anasaz.UUCP (Duane Morse) Organization: Anasazi, Inc., Phoenix, Az. Subject: Double Nocturne by Cynthia Felice (mild spoiler) Date: 14 Aug 88 00:18:26 GMT Time: relatively far future Place: a planet called "Islands" SF elements: lost colony, AI computers, some advanced technology Introduction: Contact with a number of planets heen lost during the Homeworlds wars. On a mission to the Islands to repair or replace a faulty Artificial Intelligence computer, the shuttle carrying the captain and the engineer disappears. The starship's pilot, Tom Hark, takes the other shuttle down to investigate. Main storylines: Tom's adventures in the various cultures and subcultures as he tries to rescue the crew without sacrificing high technology devices, including the shuttle; discovery of the cause of the planet's stagnation and trying to figure out what to do about it. Critique: Cynthia Felice is one of the names I look when I go shopping for SF. Her books are almost always unusual and enjoyable. This one is a good example. The hero, Tom Hark, is supposed to be an average guy doing his best in a tough situation, and darned if I don't believe it. He makes mistakes, says the wrong thing sometimes, and he's out of shape (physically) for the somewhat primitive world he finds himself in. The cultures which have developed on the planet are interesting: the wars weren't that long ago, so people on the planet recognize Tom for what he is. Some want to use him to get off the planet; others want to grab his technology to make a play for planetary power. So there's a lot more going on that just Tom's attempt to get his injured captain and engineer back to the ship. A romantic interest also develops, and even that has cute twist to it. Further, the technology on the planet hasn't slid all that far downhill. Rating: 3.0 out of 4.0; an enjoyable, good book, one to keep on my shelf. P.S. This is the second novel I've read in a short period of time in which the brains of a computer look like and are called "jelly beans". I'm pretty sure the other book was by someone else. Odd coincidence. -- Duane Morse ...!noao!mcdsun!nud!anasaz!duane (602) 861-7609 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!solace!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!munnari.OZ.AU!spool.mu.edu!news.sgi.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!news!wex From: hewett@flinthills.com (Kevin B. Hewett) Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews,rec.arts.books.reviews Subject: A review of _Promised Land_ by Connie Willis and Cyntia Felice Date: 14 Mar 1997 01:13:32 GMT Organization: KNOWLEDGE IS A TWO-EDGED SWORD Lines: 53 Approved: wex@media.mit.edu Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: tinbergen.media.mit.edu Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.sf.reviews:1232 rec.arts.books.reviews:2365 _Promised Land_ by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice A review by Kevin B. Hewett copyright 1997 This novel by the coauthors of _Light Raid_ and _Water Witch_ is about coming of age and the shattering of childhood's myths and preconceptions for the reality of adult life. It is also about the rediscovery of forgotten delights and the finding of adult love and happiness. The novel begins with the return of Delanna Milleflores to her home planet of Keramos upon the death of her mother. She has been away off planet at an exclusive boarding school for the previous 15 years since she was 5 years old. She plans to be home for only a day, long enough to settle her mother's affairs and sell the family farm. Unfortunately, her planet's archaic laws and her late father's will preclude her from selling the farm. Indeed, by those laws she finds herself already married to her family's nearest neighbor and farming partner. During the course of her journey out to the farm, and the reality of life on a frontier, agricultural world she slowly begins to realize that everything her mother wrote to her about life on Keramos was either false or twisted beyond recognition. As the myths are shown to be wrong and the truth emerges, Delanna's outlook on life is altered. After overcoming her humiliating introduction to life on Keramos during the five thousand mile journey to the farm, she begins to enjoy the flora and fauna of her world. Later, she appreciates the continuous gossip of people living on farms separated by hundreds of miles who communicate via ham radio. Her final change is when she realizes that her "husband" is actually worthy of her love and help. The plot of this intricate novel is complex with many twists and turns. The characters, especially Delanna and her "husband" Sonny, are well rounded and complete with their own faults and failings. Throughout the novel, we watch as the characters grow and change their outlook on life. Their interaction with each other, as well as with the local flora and fauna make this an enjoyable novel to read. Indeed, one turns each page in anticipation of the next encounter of Delanna with her home world's weather, animals, plants, or the members of the community of which she unwillingly finds herself a part. %A Willis, Connie and Cynthia Felice %T Promised Land %I Ace %C New York %D February 1997 %G ISBN 0-441-00405-9 %P 362 pp %O hardcover, US$21.95 Kevin B. Hewett | Dept. of Chemistry | KNOWLEDGE Kansas State University | IS A Manhattan, Kansas | TWO-EDGED hewett@flinthills.com | SWORD hewett@ksu.edu |